?<strong>Chapter 409:</strong>


    Joelle’s grief enveloped him like a shadow, and Adrian clenched his jaw, fighting to suppress his own sorrow. The burn wounds on his body suddenly pulsed with excruciating pain.


    “Rnd!” Joelle wept uncontrobly until she finally copsed into his arms.


    Adrian disregarded his own pain and scooped her up, carrying her back to the ward. Joelle couldn’t bear to ept it.


    He instructed everyone to respect her need for rest, ensuring that she could find sce without any disturbances.


    The Finch family stood quietly to the side, their faces etched with sorrow. Fred spoke with deep sincerity, “I’m truly sorry; it was our negligence that led to this tragedy.”


    As business associates, no one had wanted this to unfold. The people on Adrian’s side stood in silence, their expressions heavy with grief.


    “Adrian, we’re truly sorry,” Fred apologized.


    After a few moments of heavy silence, Shawn’s voice broke the stillness, thick with emotion. “No matter how much you say, my nephew won’t return. A two-year-old life is simply gone.”


    M interjected, “But it wasn’t deliberate on our part. Dunn put everything on the line to save Aurora. Doesn’t that hold any significance?”


    “Enough!” Fred rebuked her sharply.


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    Katherine rose to her feet, her voice edged with disbelief. “Significance? If it were your child, would you still say that? I can’t speak for Joelle, but you two families need to handle this on your own. A child is lost just like that!” She mmed the door behind her as she stormed out.


    The atmosphere was charged with tension. The situation wasn’tplicated; the Finch family had done everything in their power to make amends promptly after the incident.


    But Rnd was truly gone.


    The exchanged nces between the two families only served as a painful reminder of the tragedy they had all endured.


    Gracie grasped a handkerchief, her head bowed in sorrow. “Adrian, Shawn, we are truly sorry. We promise to do everything in our power to make things right. You know how much we cherished Rnd. We are just as heartbroken over this. We are truly, deeply sorry.”


    Adrian sat in silence, lost in his thoughts as the minutes stretched on, feeling as though time had slowed. With a gentle sigh, Shawn ced a reassuring hand on Adrian’s shoulder.


    “Adrian, you and Joelle need to make the final decision on this. I’ll go check on Aurora in the meantime.”


    In the hallway, Aurora and Dunn sat huddled against the wall. Aurora’s sobs filled the air, her tears flowing freely, while Dunn remained silent, his face tight with the effort to hold back his own emotions.


    Though they couldn’t hear the adults’ conversation from the meeting room, their hearts sank when they saw Katherine emerge, tears streaming down her face. Lost in her grief, Katherine walked past them without noticing,pletely absorbed by her sorrow. A wave of guilt washed over Dunn, tightening his chest as he clenched his fists in silent frustration.


    “Dunn, I’ve lost my brother,” he whispered.


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